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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29416755">Bronte's Valentine</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinMu/pseuds/MinMu'>MinMu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Valentine's Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:00:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,311</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29416755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinMu/pseuds/MinMu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Reader treats everyone as a human being, regardless of their job, even if their job is as an Avenger.  This perplexes Bucky Barnes, until everything comes to a head on Valentine's Day.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bronte's Valentine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an un-edited quick story, written for a friend who could use a fluffy distraction and suggested Bucky on Valentine's Day.  She knows me as "Bratty Nonnie".</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You really enjoyed working in Stark Tower.  You would be embarrassed to admit it, but one of your favorite things about it was being able to see the Avengers, the World’s Greatest Heroes, on a near-daily basis going about their normal life, when they weren’t desperately saving the world.  Most of them were pretty happy people, despite what they had gone through.  There was one whose smile didn’t seem to come effortlessly: Bucky Barnes.  No one would blame him for being reticent.  Not only had he gone through the most horrific experiences, but his nightmare had only ended a short time ago.  </p>
<p>When people smiled at Bucky, he responded with a scowl and a scowl from The Winter Soldier was enough to ensure most people never tried to smile at him again.  But you aren’t most people.  You realized that he was like a dog that had always been beaten and associated a hand being reached out with a fist coming to hit him.  It was no wonder that he interpreted a stranger trying to connect to him with suspicion and aggression.  All he needed was new experiences to realize that not everyone meant him harm.</p>
<p>So you continued to smile at him.  When he quit scowling in response and instead looked at you in confusion—unsure why you continued to smile at him when everyone else left him alone.  You privately celebrated your progress and moved onto the next phase—words.  When you saw him you smiled and said something simple, something that didn’t require a response from him.  “The weather is beautiful today.”  “The Yankees played a great game last night” </p>
<p>He didn’t answer you or say anything at all, but you didn’t expect it.  You were just letting him experience that someone could smile at him and speak to him and ask for nothing in return, to not be trying to get something in return.</p>
<p>In only a few weeks, he started to acknowledge you.  He would look you in the eyes and nod or tilt his head or one very memorable occasion smile at you.  He no longer was surprised by your interaction, nor was suspicious.  He had accepted that this was just you.  But in doing so, you felt like you had given him the possibility that not everyone unknown was a threat.  You knew that The WinterSoldier had nothing to fear physically from anyone, certainly not anyone sitting behind a desk in Stark Tower, but you wondered if maybe another fear might have been behind some of his hostility.  He had to be tired of being treated like a monster by everyone not on his Avengers’ squad.  He may have built walls around himself because he just couldn’t face any more abuse, not when he could avoid it.</p>
<p>Now that you had made this connection with Bucky, you were not going to give up.  You continued to smile and talk to him.  But you had no further goals.  You had accomplished what you wanted and didn’t expect anything else, anything in return.  You had a new friend, albeit an unconventional one.</p>
<p>As winter progressed along, your work became busy.  Between that and the difficulties of the commute in bad snowy weather, you lost track of the date.  That is, until you heard some of coworkers discussing Valentine’s Day:  What they expected from their sweetheart.  Where they were going to celebrate.  Whether they expected a proposal. Etc..   You were sad to hear that everyone seemed to be talking about what they wanted and no one seemed to be talking about what they were giving or even what they were feeling.  You hadn’t had a boyfriend in a long time,  but even when you were dating, Valentine’s Day always seemed so crass—all about spending money to prove your feelings, or worse to ‘pay rent’ on your relationship.  You would love a simple spontaneous gesture from someone who really saw you  as you are and appreciated you.  But this was obviously not the year.</p>
<p>At least that’s what you thought.</p>
<p>You were finishing an important email when out of your peripheral vision you saw someone approach your desk.  Without looking you held up one finger in the universal sign for “one more minute, please”.  After hitting send, you looked up and were stunned to see Bucky Barnes standing there awkwardly.  </p>
<p>He had never approached you directly before.  You had always managed to catch his eye when he was on his way to somewhere else with great purpose.  Other than the Avengers’ Team, you had never seen him acknowledge anyone.  But here he was, seeking out you specifically.</p>
<p>You smiled and opened your mouth to say something inane when he mirrored your gesture from before, holding up a single finger, which silenced you.  He cleared his throat and spoke haltingly as though he wasn’t in the habit of speaking.  But the words that came out were even more of a surprise:  “Will you be my Valentine?”  After finishing that question, he looked like he was ready to run away.  You couldn’t let that happen, so you rose to look him eye-to-eye and say “I would love to!”  You wanted to throw your arms around him in a hug, but wasn’t sure that would be welcomed.  You also weren’t sure what he meant by “Valentine” but you wanted to risk whatever he was willing to offer you.</p>
<p>His relief was palatable and he held out a small envelope to you.  You saw a tinge of pink on his cheeks as he said with a voice that seemed to be loosening up “All these valentines today seem wrong, too commercial or too crass or trying to be funny.  I had to look hard to find one that seemed like what I remembered.”  You took the envelope from him and opened it carefully so as not to tear it.  Inside was a charming vintage Valentine with a simple “Be my Valentine, please” written carefully on the back.  </p>
<p>You looked from the card up to him and gave him a warm and bright smile.  “This is perfect, Bucky.  But can I ask, why me?   I’m nobody special.  You save the world on a regular basis and look….like you look.  You could definitely get any girl you wanted.”  You gave him a wicked smirk as you said “As long as you quit growling at her and gave her that brilliant smile.”</p>
<p>Bucky reached out a hand to you in supplication as he said “You are the girl I’d like.  You are better than I deserve, but you are kind enough not to know that.”  He shifted in discomfort as he noticed the people all around watching you.  Granted, a guy flirting with you was a scene that no one in your office had ever experience.  The fact that it was Bucky Barnes means that most of them had their cellphones out, recording .  </p>
<p>“Can we go someone a little…quieter?”  you asked and Bucky looked relieved.  </p>
<p>“It is too cold for the roof, but, if you trust me, I know somewhere in the building where we can talk”  Bucky offered.</p>
<p>You locked your purse in your desk and shut down your computer in a flash, then stood and took Bucky’s hand.  “Take me where you think best”.   He led you to the Avenger’s Elevator and pressed the button for a floor you had never been on.  When you got off the elevator, he led you down a hallway to a door that opened for you without anyone touching it.  Behind that door lay a tropical jungle.</p>
<p>Well, maybe not a tropical jungle, but it was an amazing cross between a glassed –in patio and a greenhouse.  There were lush plants flourishing in a warm, moist atmosphere and the two of you had it all to yourself.</p>
<p>Bucky looked you intently in the eyes and said “This place reminds me of you.  When everywhere is grey, cold, and dreary, this place shows life and hope.  That even though things can be bad, it is a promise that there is still goodness that will return.  Winter is unavoidable, but doesn’t last forever.  Sometimes we need a reminder that we will get through it and things will get better. That’s what you do for me.”</p>
<p>Wow!  When this guy decides to talk, he doesn’t hold back.  No wonder he had all the girls charmed before the war!  Back then, rumor has it, he had a different girl every night and two on Saturday.  But right now, today, at this moment, on Valentine’s Day, all of his focus was on you.</p>
<p>You fanned yourself with you hand, partially as a joke to cut the intensity and partly because you were actually feeling warm and a bit faint.  He gallantly led you over to a table with two chairs.  He pulled out your chair for you to sit and poured you a glass of cold water from a pitcher that was there waiting.  You smiled at him, said ‘thank you’ and sipped daintily while your brain was spinning a million miles an hour.  How could you politely ask him ‘why me’?  This would take some tact and delicate language.</p>
<p>“So, Bucky, why me?”  Okay, you didn’t have tact and delicate language at the moment, but you needed to know, so that maybe you might just believe him.</p>
<p>“You are the kindest person I have met.  When I growled and glared at you to push you away, you continued to respond with smiles and even friendly words.  You never asked anything of me.  You accepted me as I am and where I was.  Frankly, you confused me, so I started watching you.”</p>
<p>You stumbled “But I didn’t see you watching me?”</p>
<p>At this Bucky gave you a broad smirk “What sort of a spy would I be if you would see me watching you?”  Then he became sincere again.  “You weren’t just nice to me.  You went out of your way to be kind to everyone.  You treated deliverymen, baristas, doormen, security staff…everyone…with respect and consideration, recognizing that they are people first and not defined by the job that they were performing.  You went out of your way to make their day a little brighter.  You paid attention to people around you and find out what makes them happy and did those little things that make all the difference.  I didn’t know that good people still existed, good people who did what was kind without expecting anything in return.  I mean, yes, I live and work with ‘The World’s Greatest Heroes’ but I see them on their off-days, when they just need to be grumpy jerks.  You don’t seem to take any ‘off-days’ for yourself and that takes more strength and courage than what is considered heroic.”</p>
<p>Reaching back to retrieve a slim package from a shelf behind him, Bucky presented it with a touch of shyness.  “I thought that roses were not right for you.  They are commercial, trite, and short-lived.  I wanted to give you something special, enduring, and above the usual…just like you.”</p>
<p>You protested “But I can’t.  You have already given me a Valentine and I have absolutely nothing for you.”</p>
<p>He softly placed the slim package into your hands “Isn’t giving without expecting what this holiday SHOULD be about?  You give so much to so many without keeping score.  Can’t you let me have that joy of giving in that way to you?”</p>
<p>Unable to say no to that you carefully unwrapped the package.  It was  a book titled “Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell” and was obviously very old and carefully preserved.  You looked up at him stunned “Do you know what this is?”</p>
<p>Bucky’s face broke into a broad smirk “I believe it is a book of poetry by your favorite authors, who incidentally were publishing to get their words out, despite prejudice and adversity.”</p>
<p>“But, but, but” you sputtered “But this says it is a first edition.  This book’s first edition doesn’t exist.  It is a unicorn—a beautiful myth that doesn’t exist.”</p>
<p>“Well, it must exist since it is in your hands.  And if a book is published, it has to have been published first at some point, which would be a first edition.”  Bucky replied reasonably.</p>
<p>“But if this is real, it belongs in a museum.  It is too rare and valuable for me”  You protested.</p>
<p>“It is a rare and precious gift for a rare and precious person.  Someone owed me a favor and gave it to me.  I can’t think of anyone who will give it a better home.”  Bucky was both sincere and charming.</p>
<p>“Well, thank you, thank you so much.  Not only because it is an expensive gift, but moreso because it shows how much you have paid attention to me, listened to me, to know what gift could really touch me so much.  I have empty hands.  What could I possibly do to repay you?”  You were stunned by going from expecting nothing of him to having him give you everything—a priceless treasure and such brave and guileless words of affection and admiration.</p>
<p>Bucky spoke smoothly “All I ask in return is some of your time.  I’d like to get to know you better.  Can we talk this evening and, maybe—if you like me—go out on a date or two?”</p>
<p>You smiled brilliantly at him “I can think of nothing better.  Can we have this green space to ourselves this evening so that no one will interrupt us?”</p>
<p>“That is exactly my plan.  And you know that my strategy is unequalled.”  Bucky said warmly.</p>
<p>And the two of you spent an incredible evening of talking which lead to another date, and another, and so forth until the dates bled together into just become your shared life together.</p>
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